Through His Eyes
by trycee
Summary: Scully is connecting to her three year son William in a way she can't explain. Alternative Universe Story. *Dedicated to Paulie Rubens*
1. Chapter 1

**Through His Eyes**

**Part 1**

**By **

**Trycee**

**Time-Line: 2004-Philadelphia, PA**

**Disclaimer- I do not own the X-Files. This is written for fun not profit. **

***Thank You Paulie Rubens for the idea of this story***

The snow and cold wasn't the worst of it for Scully. She could endure almost everything except to be back in Philadelphia, a cruel reminder of her past near-fatal encounter with a man that had nearly killed her. It had taken them along time to be free of the memory, she and Mulder, but it still lingered between them, especially since they had to move to the city with Mulder still in hiding.

Skinner had told her that her record had been wiped clean. She wasn't a fugitive any longer. She could contact her family and live her life as long as she kept Mulder out of sight. She'd chosen to go back to school, to take Physician refresher courses. She'd already taken a total of two 12 week Medical Refresher Courses and was nearly a year into her Targeted Training at Drexel University, all while still looking over her shoulder, despite Skinner's reassurances that she was safe. The FBI was even flipping the bill for her re-education, after all it had been years since she had gone to medical school and despite teaching at Quantico and doing massive amounts of autopsies as a certified Pathologist, she hadn't had much one on one contact especially in the new direction she was heading, working with children.

As Scully trudge through the snow in her boots, a furry coat helped shield the blast of winter wind that turned her face into a block of red ice, she continued on making her way towards the yellowed brick building, past the dragon mascot, as the snow nearly and wind blinded her, whipping her long dyed blond hair in a frenzy. There was nothing more she wanted to do than stay home with Mulder at the tiny one bedroom home they lived in, far away from prying eyes in a town on the outskirts of the city. But Mulder was busy packing them up for their move to a home in Virginia he had purchased a few years back under a pseudo name, just as he had purchased their current home, a few years prior.

Havertown, PA was a small enough town and yet only thirty minutes from the city of Philadelphia. People were watchful yet not intrusive and that was something that she did like about the place. It was quiet with a small town feeling and she knew that people around town knew she lived with Mulder, or John Matthews as he was being referred too, but he was seldom seen outside of their small home, far from the prying eyes of their neighbor's who occasionally saw him chopping firewood or mowing the vast spread of land. They never questioned why she was never seen out in public with him, they tended to mind their own business. She wore a wedding band and that was all most people in Havertown needed to know. She frequented the Irish Catholic church of St. Denis every Sunday alone. She didn't socialize beyond the weekly mass and no one seemed interested in prodding. She was a mystery to most that knew _of_ her and her 'husband' who seemed to be house-bound despite his healthy appearance. They knew her trips to church and the grocery store were the most she did in Haverton and beyond a smile, no one bothered to ask her name. They knew from her scrubs and book-bag that she was a student traveling back and forth to Philadelphia, and the people of Havertown left it at that.

Scully slid into her desk, taking out her books and notes. She had lived a million lifetimes but yet found herself back in a classroom, not as the teacher this time, but as the student. She wanted to work with children though she knew it would be painful for her to see them day after day. But she had already decided that she needed to be close to children, after losing both of her own. It was her way of coping with the permanent lost of her daughter Emily and her lost of William somewhere far away from her.

Scully had already been offered a job in Virginia at Our Lady of Sorrow's, a Catholic hospital an hour from the home that Mulder had secured for them bought by The Lone Gunmen in case they needed to run. Mulder had secured several houses cheaply as an insurance for their escape, all in need of repair and left unattended until they needed to use it. She had learned about his collections of rundown homes when they had become involved romantically and it had helped served them for the first year as they ran from the FBI. And it had helped them when Skinner informed her that she was no longer wanted, her slate had been cleaned but that Mulder was still wanted but no one was actively seeking him. They had lived in Havertown for two years now, tucked away in sleepy town as she resumed her medical education, fulling a promise to herself, her parents and Mulder that she would live out her dream and become a practicing physician.

Scully was eager to move into the home in Virginia and to get back to work but despite being surrounded by fellow doctors and classmates, some much older than herself, she felt uncomfortable having to jump back into the college life. She was used to being the teacher, the one in control and for nearly two years, Scully had homework and tests in between hands on rounds at the Catholic hospital, Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital. She was exhausted and was glad the two years of study was nearly over. She glanced at her phone noticing a text message from Mulder. "Love you always," it read. She smiled and texted him back. "Always and forever."

Dr. Bill Henderson walked up to the board and began scribbling on the black board. Scully began to take notes but stopped, dropping her pen on the paper. Suddenly, the blackboard faded and she was unaware of her surroundings as she stared out in front of her. Her eyes adjusted and she shielded her eyes against the bright glare of the sun. Scully was in a brown grassy field with the sun lightly kissing her face.

She turned to her left and gasped, a woman smiled and reached down and picked up a little red haired boy from the grass setting him on his feet. "Don't cry, William, it's okay."

Scully stared up into the soft gentle eyes of the woman and then looked into the face of the little boy with blue eyes who was staring directly at her. "Mama!", the boy said, pointing in her direction.

Scully cupped her hands over her mouth. "William?", she said, as tears trailed down her cheeks.

"Mama!", the boy said, stepping towards her, his finger pointing straight at her.

The strange woman again swopped in just as he neared her sitting on the grass. "Willie, mama's right here," the woman said.

Scully shook her head, standing up and looked around her. "NO!, I'm his mama!", she said, but the woman was turned from her, unaware of her presence.

The little red haired boy was nearly four and his tiny fingers pointed in her direction. "Mama," he said.

Scully glanced around her. She could see the large snow capped mountains jutting up into the sky and there was brown grass beneath her feet and a vast blue sky that seemed to go on for miles. Her eyes refocused on the small face of the toddler.

William was dressed in a jacket as the woman held him. A man walked up and kissed the woman on the lips and then retrieved the young boy from her arms. "Hey, Buddy. How are you?", the man smiled.

William pointed behind him. "Mama!"

"Yes, mama is right here!"

"NO!", the little boy said, shaking his head. "Mama!"

Tears streaked Scully's face and she took a step closer to him. Her fingers reached out and she could feel the baby soft fingers of the toddler and she broke down to her knees kneeling in the hard winter grass, crying out loud.

"Mama!", the baby continued.

Red-faced, Scully stood up and then brushed her finger against his skin, gently, the way she did when he was a baby and the way Mulder caressed her cheeks. "I love you," she said, as she stared at him. "You look so much like me and your dad. God, William!", she said, covering her mouth.

The toddler reached out his hand and she held it. "I love you so much."

"Luv you!", he said back. He pushed his body backwards. "Down!", William ordered, wriggling in his adoptive father's arm.

Mr. Vandekamp placed William on the ground and let go of his hand. William walked over towards her and she placed his tiny hand in hers. She plopped down to the cold ground and then placed him gently into her lap.

"We've been pretty lucky so far," the woman said. "But we might get 14 inches of snow starting tomorrow."

Scully looked up at the home. It was the first time she had noticed the structure behind them. They were sitting in the yard next to the home. She wasn't sure how she had gotten there but she wasn't going to question it as she ran her fingers through the contented toddler's soft reddish hair. He was smiling a crooked smile like Mulder and she was in heaven.

"Look at that!", Mr. Vandekamp smiled, turning to look in Williams direction. He suddenly looked concerned,"It's too cold though for him to be lying on the grass like that. That ground is frozen underneath all that grass."

His wife agreed. "William! Come here honey, we need to go inside and have a little lunch, whatdaya say?"

"No!", William said, as Scully continued to stroke his hair.

She could feel the heavy weight of his small body against hers and could see the identical blue depths of his eyes as he stared into hers. "I love you so much. Daddy loves you too. We love you, William. We love you," she continued to chant.

"That boy is hard-headed," Mr. Vandekamp chuckled. "He's stubborn!"

Mrs. Vandekamp smiled. "He gets it from you!"

Scully glanced up sharply from Williams tiny face as he laid in her lap, and stared harshly at the couple. "No, he get's it from his real father, Fox William Mulder," she said, softly as she layered kisses on his soft cheeks. "Jeremiah was a bullfrog," she began to sing, her focus solely on her son held tightly in her lap. "Was a good friend of mine..."

William began to smile and chuckle to himself.

"Is he playing with an imaginary friend?", Mrs. Vandekamp said, watching him giggle and squeak as he laid on the ground. "That's so cute."

"I'm not sure if I like that," the man said, shaking his head. "His nearly four and he needs a brother or a friend to play with. He's out here all alone with no other kids for miles."

The woman touched her husband's arm. "The adoption is almost finalized and Will will have a little brother to play with," she said, smiling back at him as the toddler sat up, his gaze heavenward. "See, look he's observant, he's staring up into the heavens, maybe he see's angels. Did you think about that?"

The man smiled. "He is our little angel, I wouldn't be surprised."

"Jer-a...", William sang.

"Miah," Scully instructed as he looked up into her watery blue eyes.

"Jer-a-my-ah," he repeated.

"Was a bullfrog," Scully said, softly, gripping his small arms tightly. "And was a good friend of mine..."

"Wa sa good ben of my!", William sang in a tiny voice, his eyes showing as brightly as hers.

She layered kisses on his pillowy cheeks. "I love you!", she said, softly. "I love you!"

"I luv you too!", William smiled.

"Did you hear him singing?", Mrs. Vandekamp said amazed. "Where did he learn that song from?"

The man shrugged his shoulders. "God only knows."

"I sing him bible songs and nursery rhymes but I don't remember ever singing that," she said, perplexed.

"Come on," the man said. "Let's go in and eat that lunch."

Scully kissed Williams cheek and then pressed her forehead against his. He was snatched from her hands. She stared in disbelief as William was draped over the woman's shoulder and carried off towards the home beyond.

"Hello? Dr. Scully?", Dr Henderson said as he waved his hand in front of her face. "Dr. Scully?"

"Yes!", she said, jumping up, knocking her books from her desk onto the floor.

"I thought you had a stroke there for a moment. You were really zoned out there. The only way I knew you were still alive was that you were crying!", he said, with a worried expression on his face.

She wiped her face and then attempted to focus around her. She was sitting in the empty classroom with the older man crouched beside her. "You okay?", he asked.

"I'm fine!", she said, grabbing up her books. "I'm sorry...I," she said, confused as she tried to orient herself to her whereabouts. "I, have to go home!", she announced.

"Are you sure you don't want to get checked out? It looked like a stroke to me!", the older gentlemen said.

She smiled. "No, I'm fine, really. I'm fine," rushing out the door.

Scully stood in the hallway and leaned against the cool wall. A few students glanced in her direction but they kept walking. She bee-lined for the women's bathroom, grabbing up a few paper towels, wetting it under the faucet and then dabbing the cold towels against her face, carefully wiping her tears beneath her swollen eyes. Scully stood in the mirror staring at herself for a long moment until she heard movement behind her as someone entered the bathroom. She grabbed up her coat and book bag and without looking back, walked out into the hall. She bundled herself up in coat and tossed the book bag on her small back and stepped out into the freezing cold weather for the long track back to the parking lot. She shoveled off the accumulated snow on top of her car and kicked at the icicles that had formed around her tires. She sighed after she had completed her task of unburying and slid into the car seat, immediately starting it, placing her fingers at the grates to warm the frozen digits. She peeled off onto the slick ice covered streets and aimed her car homeward. She needed to see Mulder, she needed a touch of normalcy.

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	2. Chapter 2

**Through His Eyes**

**Part 2**

**by **

**Trycee**

**Time-Line: 2004-Philadelphia, PA**

**Disclaimer- I do not own the X-Files. This is written for fun not profit. **

***Thank You Paulie Rubens for the idea of this story***

Scully could see the smoke billowing up from the chimney from the fireplace before she pulled into the driveway. She slammed the car door and pushed opened the front door of the one bedroom bungalow. She walked straight into the living room and could see Mulder standing above a steamy pot on the stove, dancing around in the tiny kitchen to a television commercial. He glanced in her direction, "Scully, did we ever think this place was big? I don't think this place is any larger than the X-Files office."

"After running for a year, we thought it was a palace," she said, in a small voice.

"In the new house we'll have our own offices, Scully," he smiled, as he stirred the pot. "In the new house, there'll be room for us to expand and have guests rooms, if we want."

Scully was lost in thought, standing as she looked around the tiny space. She could see Mulder in the kitchen, the living room, the bedroom and office door with just the turn of her head. "Any word on the progress of the house? Will it be habitable when we get there?"

"The company is updating me with pics everyday. We have walls, a kitchen, a bedroom, two offices, living room, and an unfinished attic. They need to just paint it and fix the gate, and we'll be ready to move in when you graduate."

She dropped her book-bag on the floor. "Good," she said, tiredly.

Mulder cocked his head to the side as he watched her kick off her boots, hang up her coat neatly and arrange her book bag in place. "What's wrong?", he said, noticing the slumping of her shoulders.

Scully walked a few steps over to the kitchen. Her face was worn and Mulder could see that she had been crying. He immediately engulfed her into his arms, pulling her tightly against him. "What is it, Scully?"

She pulled back from him, shaking her head. "Nothing," she sighed and moved past him to the kitchen.

Mulder angrily tossed the oven mitt onto the small counter. The kitchen was standing room only. He stood leaning against the built-in bar top, watching her carefully. He noticed she was avoiding his gaze as she feverishly stirred the pot of chili. "Mulder, if I asked you to learn to cook, would you do it?", she said, still keeping her eyes glued on to the bubbling liquid. "With school and then working my hours at Mercy, I'm a little overwhelmed."

Mulder eyes scanned the tiny house with empty boxes stacked on top of sealed ones against the large window with a view of the falling snow. "We're moving at the same time too. Maybe we should just get rid of some of this stuff? I mean, we could always get new furniture when we move. That might help with some of the stress."

She sighed heavily. "No, I'm not talking about the move," she said, exasperated. "I'm talking about cooking and cleaning and going to school, and working in the hospital half the time and coming home and having to cook and clean after you!"

She could see the distressed look on Mulder's face. "Even if you warmed up leftover's Mulder, I still had to cook it."

"That's what's bothering you?", he said disbelievingly. He crossed his arm's in front of him, glaring at her.

Her eyes traveled up to his chin but she avoided looking him in the eye. "Yes, that's what's bothering me."

"You're lying!", he declared.

Scully scoffed and stumped past him into the living room but stopped in her tracks and then turned headed towards their bedroom, slamming the door shut. Mulder turned off the eye of the stove and then pushed the bedroom door open. She glanced up at him surprised but retreated to the bathroom, slamming the door closed and locking it.

Mulder leaned against it. "Don't make me break this door down!"

"I'm not in the mood, Mulder!", she said.

"Open the door before I tear it down!"

He waited in front of the door and listened as she unlatched it. He walked in and saw her standing with her back to him, filling up the tub. "I don't want to talk right now, Mulder."

"Well, with that little show you just performed, I think we need to talk about it."

She swung around, her eyes blazing. "Why can't I just have a moment to myself? Why is it that I always have to explain to you what I'm thinking? You always force me to tell you my every thought and I'm sick of it!"

Mulder grabbed her shoulders and held her. He watched as her eyes changed from fiery to lost in a matter of minutes. She pressed her head into his chest and he held her tightly, feeling the tears wetting his shirt. He pulled her back and sat down on the edge of the tub still filling with water. "What is it, Scully?", he said, as she gripped his shoulder, gulping air as she tried to calm her nerves. "I was...", she stammered.

"Take your time," he said, turning off the steaming water and pulling Scully in close, standing between his legs. He held her so her head lay against his chest. "It's okay. Take your time."

She shook her head and sat up, sitting on his left leg. "It doesn't make any sense!"

"What doesn't?", he said, growing concerned.

"Being with him. Holding him. Touching him!", she said watching the changes in the tautness of his jaw and the blaring of his eyes.

"Touching who?", he fumed.

She finally met his eyes and then Mulder knew. "William?"

"I was there with him," she said, shaking her head in disbelief. "I held him in my arms. I sang to him. He sang back to me, Mulder," she said, as he pulled her tighter against him. "I told him we loved him. He said he loved us back. I was there at his house with his adoptive parents."

Mulder looked perplexed "How? He's here in Pennsylvania? Why didn't you call me, Scully?", he said, angrily. You're telling me, I could've seen him?"

She reached up and placed a soft hand on his face. "Mulder," she said, to center him. "I was sitting in class and then another moment I was sitting on grass and I saw our baby boy in front of me. He could see me but his parents couldn't."

She could see the look in Mulder's eyes. "His _adoptive_ parents," she said, correcting herself. "My professor thought I'd had a stroke because I was just staring off into space. When I came too, I was alone in the class and I have no idea how long it had been over. He wanted me to get checked out."

Mulder touched her cheek, running his finger across the delicate skin capturing her tears. "Scully...", he said.

She shook her head. "No, Mulder I was there! He's out west somewhere. I saw snow-topped mountains and I saw his house and he kept calling me Mama! But _she_ thought he was talking about her but he was pointing directly at me!", she said, looking into his concerned eyes. "I held him in my lap. I don't know how or why but I was there!"

Mulder pressed a kiss to her forehead and held her still. "I believe you," he said. "I believe you."

She nodded her head, sniffling and then she grinned. "He has your smile," Scully said, looking into his worried eyes. She could see Mulder's features soften. "Mulder he is so much a mixture of us," she sighed, wiping her tears away as a smile graced her soft lips. "It's amazing!", she said. "He has my hair color, my eyes but he still looks so much like his daddy," she said, turning to look up at him.

Mulder placed his hands on the sides of her face and pressed his lips hard against hers capturing her breath. He pulled back and smiled.

"He's SO smart, Mulder," she said in awe. "I didn't want that moment to end."

Mulder watched as she stood up and checked the temperature of the water with her fingers. She was still standing between his legs as if she needed to feel him against her. He touched the back of her neck with one hand and pulled her chin up to face him with the other. "He's our son, Scully. He's beautiful and smart and we made him," he smiled.

She grinned and looked away shyly. "He's our miracle," she sighed.

Mulder nodded. "Go ahead and get in the tub before the water gets cold."

She nodded and then pressed her lips against his in a lingering kiss. He stood up and walked to the door. He stopped and stared back at her. She could see concern in his eyes but she smiled and then glanced down at the floor. Mulder opened the door and closed it behind him, leaving her to soak in the tub to her hearts desire. Mulder noticed the fire was dying down in the fireplace and so he added a few more logs to warm up the small home. But Scully's description rang in his ears and so Mulder retreated to their small shared office, trying to look up any cases on the internet similar to what she had described.

After Scullys bath, she dressed in pajama pants and a long sleeve t-shirt with bunny slippers to cover her feet. She walked back into the living room and felt the warmth of the fire just as a gust of white snow pushed past the large bay windows. She could see Mulder in the office, his head tucked into a book and so she returned to the kitchen to finish dinner. They ate the reheated leftover chili and Scully quickly washed the two bowls and utensils. She walked into their tiny shared office and groaned. "Mulder, your stuff is everywhere! How am I supposed to do my course work?"

Mulder stood in the doorway. "I was investigating something, Scully. Hey, did you know that there's an entire show about the Ancient Alien theory?"

She shrugged her shoulder. "Yeah?"

"A whole world just opened up to me, Scully," he said. "If only there was something like that when we were investigating the X-Files, huh."

She smirked. "What would've happened?"

"Maybe they wouldn't have thought I was crazy after all," he said.

Scully chuckled to herself and shook her head. "Your level of craziness is still to be determined, Mulder."

He looked shocked. "Well, I guess you're just as crazy as I am."

"Why?", she smiled.

"Cause your still with me all these years later," he said, capturing her lips.

She sighed. "I guess I am a little crazy", she said, as he released his grip on her.

Mulder began to grab up his collection of books, she placed her hands on top of his.

"That's okay, Mulder," she said. "Leave it. I think I'll work out on the couch."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

"Well, that alien show is having a marathon in a half hour," he said, hopeful.

"I'll be studying," she said, firmly.

"In the new house you'll have your own office and I'll have mine for my work."

"Good," she said, grabbing up her book bag at the door and then plopped down on the sofa sitting in 'her spot'. Mulder smiled and sat down next to her. Her back leaned against his arm. He moved his arm out of the way and Scully's back fell against his chest.

With one free arm, he flipped the channels until it settled on his alien marathons. Scully grabbed her glasses off the coffee table and settled back against him, her attention on her books and notes in preparation for a surgery she would be assisting in the morning at Mercy Fitzgerald. She wanted to be sharp and ready for anything thrown her way. Mulder sat contented as she studied well into the night. After his marathon had gone off, he noticed that Scully had fallen asleep with her books teetering on the edge of the sofa. He heard one book hit the floor with a loud thud but Scully was still sound asleep. Mulder maneuvered himself and stood up, gently laying Scully down flat on her back. He picked her up in his arms and carried her to their bedroom. She was light and so he held her cradled against him as he pulled down the covers. He laid her down and covered her with a warm blanket to stave off the cold. He returned to the living room, and proceeded to clean up Scully's books, placing them back in her book bag and setting them by the door. He locked the front door and headed to the hallway, adjusting the thermostat on the wall. The temperature was starting to drop and he knew the fire he kept going during the day would burn out during the night, leaving them freezing cold. So, Mulder adjusted the thermostat and then stripped out of his clothes. He threw on some sweat pants and a long sleeved thermal shirt and climbed into the bed next to Scully. She immediately snuggled against him and Mulder closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep.

Scully awoke and looked around her in the dark. She couldn't feel Mulder's warm body against her and she had awoken feeling suddenly cold. She reached out her hand and felt nothing but a carpeted floor. Confused, Scully stood up, trying to recognized the shapes of her bedroom in the dark. Normally she could find her way around in the small bedroom but she could not recognize anything, nothing at all seemed familiar. She reached out her hand trying to feel her way and walked over to her bathroom entrance but what she found was a wall. She continued on, feeling her way until she bumped into a dresser with a lamp. She switched it on and was assaulted with a sea of blue. She glanced over to her left and William was asleep in his toddler bed just a few inches off the floor. It was a plastic Blue's Clues toddler bed with the headboard shaped like the famous blue dog. Scully looked around her in amazement at the colorfully decorated room. His name was spelled out in big block letters hanging on the wall and cute baby decorations that doted the room. She knelt down next to Williams toddler bed and ran her fingers through his red locks. He looked so peaceful as he slept with a small smile gracing his tiny lips.

"What are you dreaming about William?", she whispered.

She watched as his eyes fluttered under closed lids but did not open. She watched as he slept, memorizing every curl of his hair red to a mole that was forming above his lips just like hers that she covered with makeup. She pulled his blues clues blanket up above his shoulders. Scully was startled when the door suddenly opened. The woman, his adoptive mother, walked up to the bed as she peered down at him. She smiled as she watched him. Scully studied her face as the woman stood above her, not seeing her as if she were an apparition. The woman sighed, a look of adoration on her face. Scully felt a pang of resentment but it quickly faded as she saw the spark of love in the woman's eyes for her son. The woman readjusted the blanket and then switched off the lamp leaving Scully in darkness.

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	3. Chapter 3

**Through His Eyes**

**Part 3**

**by **

**Trycee**

**Time-Line: 2004-Philadelphia, PA**

**Disclaimer- I do not own the X-Files. This is written for fun not profit. **

***Thank You Paulie Rubens for the idea of this story***

Scully tossed and turned as her arms flayed in every direction fighting against the blanket that held her in as her voice rose desperately screaming,'William!' Mulder snapped on the lamp next to him on his nightstand and glanced over to her. "Nightmare, Scully?", he said, softly but she remained entranced. He placed a heavy hand above her heart and her eyes opened slowly. She bolted up and stared out in front of her, trying to take in her surroundings. She was confused, her eyes glassy and wide eyed. Mulder attempted to touch her she retreated from him, a feral look in her eyes.

Mulder held up his hands in surrender. "It's okay...I'm not going to hurt you!"

Scully was breathing heavily as she stared past him, lost in her own thoughts. "How did I get here?", she said, finally.

"I picked you up and put you to bed."

She shook her head no and stared at him with a lost look on her face. Mulder moved in closer and Scully retreated further back from him, her spine taut against the headboard. "No!", she said firmly. "I wasn't here."

Mulder looked puzzled but decided to keep his distance. "Where, Scully?"

She turned to snap on her own lamp and their bedroom came into full view. She immediately bolted into the bathroom, slamming the door and locking it. Mulder ran his fingers through his hair, confused by her behavior. He sat back crossed leg on the bed and scratched at his furry chin. He had decided to grow out his beard but it itched fiercely. Mulder tried to listen for signs of movement from her in the bathroom but heard only the running of water in the bathroom sink. He glanced over at the clock. It was 4 am and he yawned, wiping at his sleepy eyes. After a few minutes of waiting for her to return, he stood up and knocked on the door. "You alright in there?"

"I'm fine," she said, with a shaky voice.

Mulder's antenna raised at her declaration. "Scully, come on back to bed."

He heard her turn off the faucet and swing open the door. She looked so small and frightened and he couldn't understand what had caused her to behave this way. He grabbed her hand in his and she didn't resist and so he pulled her back into the bed without a word. She sat again pressed against the headboard. Her eyes were darting around the room and landing back on him before repeating. Mulder sat on the bed facing her, waiting for her to speak when she was ready. When more than ten minutes had passed, Mulder touched her chin with his hand so her eyes connected with his. "What happened? You look so frightened."

"Maybe I'm losing my mind," she said softly, turning her chin from him and staring at her tiny hands in her lap.

"I don't think so," he said, watching her closely. "Something happened...what was it?"

"I fell asleep on the couch and I woke up."

"Yeah?"

"In Williams bedroom!", she said, shaking her head. "I knelt down beside him and watched him sleep. His adoptive mother loves him, Mulder. I saw it in her face. He looked so happy, so contented."

Mulder cocked his head to the side, watching her as she stared down at her hands.

"What am I doing, Mulder?", she said pleadingly as she looked into his hazel eyes. "How can I be so selfish?" she said, in disbelief.

"Selfish?", he said, concerned. "How in the world are you selfish, Scully?"

"I gave him up. I did what I thought was best for him," she said as a statement.

"It was!"

"So why am I popping in and out of his life?", she said, "Either I'm in or I'm out."

"Scully?", Mulder said. "What are you talking about?"

"I can't keep doing this!", she said, shaking her head. "I can't, Mulder, I can't."

"But, you aren't in control of this, Scully. Besides we don't know what exactly _is_ happening. Is it a dream or is it real!"

"It's real!", she said unfaltering.

"What are we talking about here, Scully?"

She threw up her hands. "I'm talking about that if our son is happy, I need to let him be happy and stop interfering with his life," she said, switching off her lamp. She pushed her body down on the bed and covered herself up with the blanket.

Mulder scratched his head and observed her for a few minutes before tucking himself in the bed and switching off his own lamp.

The sun shone through the bedroom window and Scully shut off the alarm before it dinged. She glanced over to Mulder's side. He was asleep facing her with a small smile just as she had observed from William. She smiled to herself and then retreated into the bathroom to start her day. She showered and dressed in her freshly laundered scrubs and walked back into her bedroom. Mulder hadn't stirred and so she continued on towards the front door. She placed her white doctor's coat on with _Drexel University-Dr. Dana Scully_ displayed on the label and she slid it onto her arms. She placed her heavier furry coat on top, leaving her book bag on the floor where it sat, and grabbed up her keys. She took one look towards the bedroom and then stepped out into the cold wind, locking the front door behind her. The porch landing had accumulated another few inches of snow but she stepped on towards the car, and then drove off heading into traffic towards Mercy Fitzgerald in Darby, PA just a fourteen minute drive from her home.

As a doctor, a Forensic Pathologist and former FBI Agent, Scully was more than qualified to accept any position at any hospital or university if she so felt inclined. She had already completed her required Medical Refresher courses but she had decided that working with children wasn't enough, she needed surgical skills as well. Always the over-achiever, Scully had worked hard to improve her skills and was now one of the best doctors coming out of the Refresher course for that year. The graduation was upcoming in just three weeks requiring her to dawn a graduation cap and gown once again, standing alongside the newest graduating class of baby faced Physicians. But none of that was on Scully's mind at that moment as she made her rounds with her fellow licensed doctor's who were all partnering with a surgeon that day to participate as they had all year long with numerous and varied surgeries, preparing them for any and all situations that might arise.

Scully's mind was on her son, the way William had looked, so much like herself. The way he smelled and her heart ached for him. She still remembered the day she had brought him to the adoption agency. She had dressed him in a little blue pointy hat and she had held him and sniffed him for as long as she could before he was ripped out of her hands with reassurances that he would be fine, he would be safe. It was true, he was, as she had found out. She chided herself for her thoughts. There was no way that she could have known that not long after she had given up her beautiful son that Mulder would come back into her life and she would be on the run with him for over a year of her life.

Scully had always wanted to find William. She had known from the moment she signed the adoption papers relinquishing her rights as a parent that she would search for William when she was able. That painful moment had been over two and a half years before. For the longest time, when she looked at Mulder, she saw their son so clearly despite her genetics being the dominate genes. He was the miracle child she had prayed for and yet she had given him up far from where she was in an attempt to shield him from those who seeked to kill him. Scully had found herself searching the face of every three year old toddlers, trying to determine if they were her son. But now she knew without a bit of doubt exactly what William looked like and he was far more beautiful than any child she had ever seen in the past.

After two surgeries, Scully was exhausted. She changed out of the surgical scrubs, showered and changed into a fresh pair, ready to soak in a hot bath and order a pizza for their dinner. She was bundled up in her coat, walking out the hospital exit when she felt a tug on her hand. Scully looked down and to her astonishment William was gripping her hand and toddling alongside of her. He was bundled up in a thick puffy coat with a scarf wrapped tightly around his mouth and neck. Scully could feel the flesh and blood hand of her son in hers and she squeezed it tightly. She knelt down in front of him staring into the depths of his blue eyes. "How did you get here William?"

The little boy smiled but said nothing as he observed the rush of people that surrounded them as they moved in and out of the hospital entrance. She pulled William out of the way. He looked amazed at the height of the large building, pointing and staring in awe at the enclosed connecting bridge above his head, his little mouth gaped open as he scanned the pedestrians around him. A woman stopped and smiled at them. "Oh he is so cute. He looks just like you."

Scully looked astonished. "You can see him?", she gasped.

The woman looked confused and backed away from Scully as if she were insane. She turned and walked into the hospital. Scully turned back to William who was stomping with his booted feet in the snow enjoying the slushy snow beneath his feet. Scully picked up her son in her arms and carried him towards the parking structure. William dangling from her shoulder as she practically ran to her car. She placed him in the front seat despite the laws against it and drove as fast as she could home, her eyes checking to make sure every second that he was still seated, singing the words he could form of 'Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog'.

Scully through the gear into park and shot off the car engine. She unbuckled William, snatching him up in her arms and raced into the front door. Mulder stood up and stared as she plopped the toddler down on the carpet in front of him. "Look, there! Tell me he's not real!"

Mulder stared at the face of the small child. He recognized it immediately, it was the identical face of his partner.

"Mulder?", she said, pacing the floor, stopping every second to look at the boy who started peeling off the scarf around his neck.

Mulder unzipped his coat and smiled at him. "William?"

William placed two tiny hands on Mulder's face and Scully stopped in her tracks. William was gone. Mulder was still kneeling in front of her staring off into space. She touched Mulder's cheek but he was unmoving yet steadily breathing. "MULDER? MULDER?", she said, alarmed, as she looked into his eyes. "Mulder?", she said, shaking him but to no avail.

Mulder could hear a woman's voice screaming at the top of her lungs, "WILLIAM!"

Mulder turned about him and saw row upon row of colorful vegetables and foods displayed with eye-catching precision. It suddenly dawned on Mulder that he was standing in the middle of a grocery store. He twisted around and saw William toddling down the aisle ahead of him, smiling at people as he passed them by. Mulder followed closely behind him as the frantic cry of the woman grew louder. "WILLIAM!"

Suddenly, a man scooped William up into his arms. "I've got him!", the man said.

Mulder shook his head and slapped at his own face, trying to wake himself. He watched as the man tickled William and kissed the top of his head and then tossed the boy over his shoulder. Mulder followed behind the man until the aisle opened up and he could see a dark haired woman in tears, surrounded by nosy on-lookers and a frightened grocery employee. The man hugged his wife as she sobbed, "I thought I'd lost him."

The man patted her back reassuringly, rubbing his hand up and down her back. "It's not your fault," he said. "He's slippery at this age."

The crowd dispersed leaving the couple alone. Mulder watched them carefully as William waved at him from over the man's shoulders.

"How are we going to deal with two of them?", the woman said, as her husband seat belted William into the front of the grocery cart.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

"Maybe we should adopt an older child," she said as her tears subsided. "One that could help us with this one!", she said, touching his nose with her finger affectionately.

"There are tons of older children that need homes," the man said. "But older kids come with their own set of problems."

"I don't care," she sniffed. "We're not young anymore. I can barely chase after this one. I don't know where he is half the time."

The man stared long and hard at William. "Alright I'll put in a call as soon as we get home."

"Good", she smiled.

Mulder stepped up to them both, waving his hand in their faces. "Hey!", Mulder said. "HEY!", he screamed but they seemed oblivious to his attempts. "Can you hear me? Can you see me?"

William laughed as Mulder attempted to get his adoptive parents attention. "My daddy is funny," he said, looking directly into Mulder's eyes.

The man turned to face William and smiled. "Oh, you think that's funny do ya?", he said, tickling the boy.

Mulder could feel the sting in his heart as he watched _his_ son laugh and squeal playing with some other man as he had always hoped he would have the chance to. After the man had pulled the buggy into the checkout lane, Mulder lifted Williams chin and kissed him on his forehead. "I love you, son, with all my heart."

William placed his hand on top of Mulder's. "Luvvvvv you!", the little boy grinned. "Daddy, daddy, daddy!", he chanted with a smile that Mulder recognized as his own smile.

William then pulled and struggled against his tether, trying to free himself. Mulder unhooked it and helped the toddler stand up in his seat.

"That boy should be named Houdini!", the man complained.

Mulder placed a soft kiss on his sons cheek and then gripped the small boys arms as he memorized every freckle on the red heads tiny face. William was strapped back down by his adoptive father and then the buggy was pushed out of the door into the frigid winter air. Mulder watched as Williams tiny hands waved goodbye in his direction. The automatic doors closed behind the little family separating Mulder from his son.

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	4. Chapter 4

**Through His Eyes**

**Part 4**

**by **

**Trycee**

**Time-Line: 2004-Philadelphia, PA**

**Disclaimer- I do not own the X-Files. This is written for fun not profit. **

***Thank You Paulie Rubens for the idea of this story***

Mulder fell back against the sofa. He was dazed and confused as he looked about him, his eyes finally focusing on the frightened face of his partner.

"Mulder," she choked out.

Mulder pulled Scully down into his lap and gripped her tightly. She pressed her head into his shoulder. She could feel his body trembling. She pressed a kiss on his neck and ran her fingers over his back. "Shoo, it's okay. I'm here," she whispered. "I'm right here."

Mulder pulled her back so he could look into her eyes. She could not read his eyes or facial expressions and it frightened her.

"Mulder, what's happening to us?", she said, as she traced her finger over his bottom lip. "I need to know."

Mulder pressed her cheek against his own. "I think he still has his powers, Scully. William is still special."

Scully shook her head. "No! Jeffrey said he was now human!"

Mulder sighed and pulled back looking directly into her blue depths. "I don't think so."

"Yes!", she said, fervently. "He was trying to protect him! I was there, Mulder, you weren't!", she spat.

Mulder broke his contact with her eyes and drooped his head.

"He was your brother, Mulder, and maybe he did want to protect you and William. That's what I firmly believe."

Mulder had a hard time thinking of Jeffrey as his brother, even if he was his _half_ brother. "Explain this all to me," he said, as his voice boomed.

Scully gasped as she looked at him, his face red and his eyes darkened. "Explain to me how our son could be here in our living room and then take us with him, Scully?"

"I don't know!", she yelled back. "Maybe we're hallucinating, like that one time when we were trapped underground because of the hallucinogenic mushrooms we stepped on. Maybe the government has found us and they put something in our hot water tank like they did before," she said pushing off his lap and towering above him. "All I know is that _if_ this is real, which I am not sure that it is, it isn't because of our son. William isn't doing this because he is _HUMAN_!"

"He's NOT fully human, Scully."

Scully shook her head.

"He needs us! He wants us with him!"

"No," she said, crossing her arms. "He's happy, Mulder. And for the past 2 ½ years he has only known them as his parents. We can't just go yank him out of the only home he knows."

Mulder stood up, towering above her. "He isn't happy. If he were happy, he wouldn't be pulling us to his home and he wouldn't be appearing here. That's the only explanation, Scully. He wants us to find him."

"They love him, Mulder! And they can protect him. We can't! You are still wanted by the FBI. What are you going to do, petition the court?", she said, leaning back so she could look into his eyes. "Mulder, I graduate in three weeks and then we move to Virginia and I start my new job! There's no legal grounds for us to get him back! I saw his face, Mulder. He was happy with them. They even have a dog, did I tell you that?"

Mulder rolled his eyes.

"A collie but he was off running in the distance. William doesn't know us, Mulder."

"He does, Scully!", he said, angrily. "He knows us. He knows they aren't his parents and he's communicating with us!"

"Do you know they're names? I don't! We know nothing Mulder because we are seeing the world through his eyes at three years old!"

"No," Mulder said. "We are standing next to him, we can touch him, we can talk to him. We are _RIGHT_ there with him, Scully. I know I'm right!"

Scully shrugged her shoulders. "What do we do? There's nothing we can do!"

"Do you even want our son back?", he scoffed.

The color drained from Scully's face. "You son-of-a-bitch!"

Mulder grabbed her arms, holding her tightly for his own safety. "STOP! Stop!", he said, as Scully attempted to wiggle free and strike him.

"I know you want him! I'm being an ass right now! I'm sorry, I was upset."

Scully flattened her hands against her body and Mulder released his hold on her. Scully punched him hard in his jaw.

"I was expecting a right," he joked.

"Bastard!", she spat, gripping her left hand which now ached from striking him in the face.

Mulder touched his swollen jaw and looked up towards the ceiling, shaking his head."Look, Scully, I'm sorry. I really am. I was angry and I wanted to hurt you and I'm sorry."

"You succeeded!", she said, grabbing her coat.

"Where are you going?", he said, flustered.

She glared at him. "OUT! Far away from you!"

Mulder exhaled and then watched from the window as Scully took off in her car, driving away quickly from him. Mulder walked into the tiny kitchen and grabbed a bottle of vodka, filling half a tumbler with the clear liquid. He opened the fridge and grabbed the chilled ice tea from the fridge. He poured it in the tumbler with the vodka and stirred it with his finger. He took a large gulp and with his glass of spiked tea, he retreated to their shared office. He needed to figure out what was happening to them and what he, as a fugitive from the FBI, could do, if anything.

Scully pulled up to the large gray brick parish of the historical St. Denis Catholic Church. She could see a few uniformed children walking from the Cardinal Foley Catholic School in the distance. After dipping her hand into the holy water, Scully made the sign of the cross. "In the name of the Father, the son and the holy spirit," she whispered. Scully stopped at an aisle and genuflected and lowered her head before making the sign of the cross in the direction of the tabernacle and Blessed Sacrament. She stood up and then slid into the aisle and immediately knelt down on a kneeler and again made the sign of the cross before seating herself on the wooden pew. She was early for evening mass but her heart was troubled after her fight with Mulder and she needed to go to the only place outside of her mother's home that she felt at peace.

Scully watched as a few priests and deacons were dressed in long bright green robes chatted outside the sanctuary. Scully knew the bright green color of the robes represented the Irish heritage in which the church was founded. St. Denis was a proud Irish Catholic church that participated in the Irish Day parade an event she had dragged Mulder out of obscurity to attend with her.

Scully waited as the pews began to fill up around her. She stared up at the image of Jesus on a cross above the altar that centered the ornate church. She kept her hands crossed and waited for the mass to begin. She needed to connect this way. Whenever she felt lost, she sought comfort in the church no matter where that church may be.

Mulder was trying to find a link to Williams sudden appearance as well as there own, searching the internet for tidbits amongst the thousands of useless links on the web. Times like these, he missed The Lone Gun Men the most. He searched and read as he sipped on his liquid gold, trying to focus and relax. He wasn't skilled like the Gunmen. Mulder wasn't gifted with computer hacking skills like they had been. He was unable to bypass the typical internet garbage or tap into government databases and so his search for _The Truth_ was at a snails pace. He pushed his laptop away in frustration and headed for the couch, plopping his spiked tea down on the coffee table, nearly empty. He glanced at his watch, noticing the time. Over two hours had gone by since Scully had stormed off and he was starting to get concerned. He jumped up when her car pulled up in front of their small home. She slammed the door and pushed open the metal front door. She was greeted by Mulder who stood in her path. "Where did you go?", he demanded.

Scully pushed past him through the doorway and hung up her coat. "St. Denis, evening mass."

With his hands on his hips, he paced around in a circle as she lingered by the door, stalling for the talk she knew was coming. She turned slowly and stared at him. "Talk!", she said, moving past him and entering the kitchen. She saw the vodka bottle left on the counter and she locked eyes with Mulder. He shrugged his shoulders but continued to stare at her. Scully placed the bottle back into the cabinet and grabbed a bottle of juice from the fridge. Mulder was watching her as she sat down on the sofa, taking a sip of the liquid. "Talk, Mulder! I don't want to fight any more."

He pressed his lips together in a thin line and huffed, "Look, Scully, I'm sorry, I really am. I shouldnt've said that."

"No, you shouldn't have," she voiced angrily, with her head turned away from him.

"Can we talk reasonably, Scully? Discuss things?"

She turned her head around slowly to face him and he could see she was still furious with him. "That's completely up to you, Mulder."

"Look, maybe we can go find him."

"And then what, Mulder? Kidnap him and run?", Scully said, dismayed. "Any day now the FBI could come raid this home and take you away from me," she said, locking eyes with his. "I could lose you, Mulder. But if we go and try to do anything while you are still being sought, we are done for! And I'll be locked away the same as you!"

Mulder sat down next to her and sighed heavily. "I can't just sit here and do nothing Scully. I need to do something about this."

"What could we do, Mulder?", she said with her hands thrown up in the air. "In three weeks, I'm graduating. My mom will be here. Then we are gone, I start my new job and we start our new lives in Virginia. That's the plan. The plan is _not_ for me to see you in prison! I've done that once already. I've also buried you once and I _cannot_ go through that again. I can't!", she said, as Mulder slipped her hand in his.

"I didn't say I would go kidnap him, Scully. But, maybe we should know where he is. Don't you think we ought to know? After all, in just eight years we'll need to know his whereabouts because of the end date of 2012!"

"He's too young right now to know what's going on, Mulder," she said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "If William is doing this, he doesn't know what he's doing. He's three, Mulder. He's a baby, still. This is all involuntary on his part."

Mulder stood up with his hands on his hips and began to pace the floor. "I need to know," he said, finally. "I need to find him."

"What if they capture you?," she said, in disbelief. "How will I go on without you, Mulder? The only way I made it the first time was I knew William was thriving inside of me and he was all I had of you. But in honesty, I died in that casket with you," she said, as Mulder's head drooped. "If you get caught Mulder, I won't have William and I won't have you and I'm not sure I can go on..."

Mulder shook his head as he stared at the wall.

"The last time we were separated, Mulder, it was months before I saw you again. We were sitting ducks. Even with Skinner, Monica and John around they still weren't able to protect us."

Scully searched Mulder's eyes for recognition. "I don't know where Monica or John are but even if I could find them," she said, licking her lips. "It would not be smart to involve them. And Skinner, he has to stay clear of us until you are exonerated."

"I'm going!", he said determinedly, looking deep into her eyes.

Scully sat there for a long moment, her expressions changing from shock to hurt to pleading. "Whenever you go off alone, Mulder, bad things happen. You know that."

"Yeah well," he said, as she stood up. "I'll be safe, I'll promise to stay out of trouble."

"There's no one to save you, Mulder," she said. "Does it matter how I feel? Has it ever mattered how I feel?"

Mulder placed his hand on her shoulder and she wrenched it away. "I care about how you feel, Scully. But, it's not going to stop me!"

She shook her head. "It never has, has it? Mulder, however this is happening it's only shown me that our son is loved, he's happy, and well taken care of. Why would I want to destroy the only life he knows?"

"I'm going, Scully," he said, looking guiltily. "And no one, not even you can stop me!"

"Go where?", she said, crushed."You don't even know where to go! There's tons of states out west with mountains behind them."

"Yeah, but I saw something while in the grocery store with him."

Scully peeked up. He hadn't told her where he'd gone when he'd zoned out. "What? What did you see?", she said,

"A newspaper," he said, remembering the images he saw after William had been placed in a blue truck and drove off.

"It was a Buffalo symbol," he said, tapping into this idyllic memory. "I saw a newspaper heading...Jackson, Wyoming!", he screamed, racing past her into their bedroom.

Scully followed him, her hands crossed in front of her defensively, standing by the doorway as he grabbed a duffel bag, tossing in clothes and necessities. He changed into hiking boots and donned a baseball cap. With his budding beard he was nearly unrecognizable. He stared down into her eyes and he kissed her on the lips. She didn't resist. She held him for a long moment, listening to his rapid heart beating. He pulled back from her and rested his forehead against hers before planting a soft kiss against her lips. "I love you Scully. Don't worry about me. I'll call you when I get there."

Scully watched as he donned his coat and kissed her goodbye. She stared at him in disbelief as he walked out of the door, his duffel bag tossed over his back. Scully watched him through the large bay windows, crossing over the snow covered walk way, heading for the center of town, she assumed. She didn't know if that would be the last time she ever saw Mulder alive again and so she watched him I until he faded in the distance.

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	5. Chapter 5

**Through His Eyes**

**Part 5**

**by **

**Trycee**

**Time-Line: 2004-Philadelphia, PA**

**Disclaimer- I do not own the X-Files. This is written for fun not profit. **

***Thank You Paulie Rubens for the idea of this story***

**WARNING: GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION AHEAD**

Scully lay in the bed alone, unable to sleep. She was restless as her mind replayed the argument she had with Mulder. She opened her eyes and stared at her headboard for long moments. She was worried as she always was when Mulder recklessly went off alone but Scully was also worried about the repercussions of Mulder's sudden and surprising appearance and what it could mean in Williams life, _if_ Mulder got that close. It had been years since Scully had to sleep alone and she was having a rough time of it. She grabbed Mulder's pillow and pressed it against her nostrils, breathing in his masculine scent as a wave of comfort and warmth washed over her. She tossed her own pillow to the floor and pressed her head into Mulder's pillow until she fell asleep comfortably.

Mulder had stop on his trek towards the highway, picking up a fallen tree branch. He broke off the tree limbs for use as his walking stick to give the impression to anyone who saw him that he was simply a bearded hobo traveling from town to town. He knew how to disguise himself, he'd done it before. Mulder had trekked towards the main highway with his thumb raised in the air waiting until a truck driver pulled over. "Where ya heading?", the man asked.

"West!", Mulder answered.

"I can take you as far as Chicago."

Mulder nodded and hopped into the truck cabin, placing his stick on the side of him and his bag near his feet. "Thanks," he said, as the driver pulled off heading out of Pennsylvania.

Two entire days had passed and Scully hadn't heard a word from Mulder, not even a text or a call from a payphone. Her stomach was in a knot as her fears threatened to overtake her. Normally Scully threw herself into her work whenever she was forced to deal with a crisis in her life but unlike the numerous times before her school work was now suffering and she had even been sloppy with her surgical technique. There were two people flooding her every thought and she could barely concentrate on anything else. Internally, Scully was in a near panic but outwardly she continued on as usual, throwing herself into her books, studying and re-studying terms she already knew by heart and operating procedures she could do in her sleep, _if _she slept. For the past two days she had slept only curled up to Mulder's pillow. Scully had barely eaten since the day Mulder had left and her appetite was non-existent and her throat was parched.

Images played in Scully's mind like a projector, she could see Mulder in his casket being lowered into the ground with dark rich soil falling from her hands on top of his casket. She was having very vivid nightmares as well that caused her to wake screaming and shaking. In her nightmares, she could see William disappearing in a blue truck far from her grasp and she could see Mulder lying in a pool of blood. It was too much for her to take.

Scully lay alone in their bed, her nose breathing in the scent of Mulder when she felt a soft tiny hand press against her waist. She jerked up, gasping as she reached for the light. She switched it on and saw a red headed William rubbing his eyes and yawning in her bed. Stunned, Scully pulled him into her arms and gently stroked his hair. "What is it, William?", she said, lovingly. "Do you miss me? Do you miss daddy? Is that why you keep coming back to us?"

The boy sleepily snuggled deeper in her arms and Scully laid back down with William pressed against her side and with her arm wrapped protectively around his small body. She listened to the soft snoring breaths of him until she found herself drifting off to sleep as well.

Mulder's beard had grown bushier in the last two days making him look like a wild man. His clothes were dusty from standing for hours waiting for the perfect hitchhike, one that would pick him up and take him to his destination. He had been lucky for the most part, bringing him right into the Jackson Hole valley to Jackson, Wyoming. Mulder was shocked by the large expanse of sky and snow capped mountains as the backdrop. The winter grass had turned brown and was coated with snow but it was still the most amazing view Mulder had ever seen. Mulder was convinced that while working on the X-Files, he had driven through Wyoming once or twice but he knew that he had never seen something so beautiful, so picture perfect.

Mulder sat in the local library searching through the yellow pages. The only other clue to Williams whereabouts was the grocery store that Mulder had seen in his vision. Mulder searched the listings for grocery stores and crossed out the various convenience stores attached to gas stations and deli's that doubled as pharmacies; he had just three real choices for grocery stores within the city limits of Jackson. With no other leads to find William, Mulder knew he had to trust his gut and find his son.

Mulder paid for a room at a rundown motel using one of his alias credit cards and drivers license created by The Lone Gunmen. The hotel reminded him of his days in the X-Files tromping around with Scully from one part of the country to the next in an endless precession. Mulder tossed his duffel bag onto the chair. He quickly showered and trimmed his beard to make himself more presentable. He needed to blend in with the locals as he searched for his son and the last thing he needed was to call attention to himself, especially from law enforcement. Mulder changed into a fresh t-shirt and jeans and was out the door quickly, ready to search the first grocery store on his list. Mulder knew that his memory would serve him well as he marched from store to store, searching for the one William had been in, but he had no concrete evidence of his son's whereabouts. Mulder was operating on purely his gut feelings. and all that he knew for certain was that he had to find him. Using his secure credit card and ID, Mulder rented himself a car and set off on his quest.

Mulder entered the Albertson's grocery store and stopped in his tracks. He knew immediately that the location was all wrong. It was a typical chain store and so he turned and retreated back to his car. He drove on to the next grocery, Jackson Whole Grocery and again, he knew it was the wrong location. He had one other choice within the city limits and he drove on and pulled up in the parking. He knew right away that this was the parking lot where he had watched Williams adoptive parents drive off away from him.

Mrs. Vandekamp glanced up towards the sky. Snow clouds were forming above them and the air smelled crisp and clean. Mrs. Vandekamp secured the latch on the car seat seat belting a bundled up William in place. "Are you ready to go for a ride?", she said, in a motherly tone.

William shook his head and his face turned red. "Eat-Eat!", the toddler said. "Ma, eat-eat!"

Mrs. Vandekamp smiled. "Alright, I know, eat-eat. We just need to wait for daddy."

The toddler shook his head no, and began to whine and pout. Mr. Vandekamp zipped up his coat and then locked the front door, bounding down the steps with a lunch sack in his hands. He stood in front of the small cab door of his blue truck and opened the plastic containers, placing them on Williams car-seat tray. He had brought sliced apples and a few pretzels for him to snack on. "There you go, buddy."

William smiled delightedly and stuck his pretzels in his mouth. His eyes lit up as he tasted his snack. "Mmmm," he said. Mr. Vandekamp chuckled and then turn to his wife. She looked affectionately at her son, "He is the cutest thing ever, don't you agree? Those big blue eyes, I swear he knows things."

Mr. Vandekamp placed his hand on his wife's arm. "He's like an old soul, isn't he?"

"He is," she smiled.

"Ah," he said, shaking his head. "We better stop talking about stuff like that. There's no such thing, only heaven and hell," he said, closing the small side door of his blue truck enclosing William. "Forgive me lord!", he said, under his breath.

Mrs. Vandekamp buttoned up her own coat as a chill ran through her. She glanced down at the long dress she was wearing and sighed. "I should've wore my long boots," she said as she climbed into the passenger side. She slammed the rusty car door closed and waited for her husband to rev up the truck and take off.

"Oh", she said. "While we're in town, we need to buy a couple of bags of cattle feed."

"Yep," he agreed, as he drove across the dirt road.

"And we need some more of that smoked bacon from the butcher," she said, turning to look at her husband.

"Yep," he added.

"Yep!", William mimicked.

The couple giggled. "I wonder how he'll react when we bring home Peter."

Mr. Vandekamp eyed William in his rear view mirror. "Peter is seven years old. I think he'll be jealous at first, but I think he'll adjust pretty quickly. He may even like having an older brother."

Mrs. Vandekamp pulled down the mirror in the visor, watching as William in a soft baby voice sang out to himself. "Jer-e-miah...bullfrog!", William sang as he stared out the window. "Whata good ben a mine!"

Mrs. Vandekamp chuckled. "He sure loves that song!"

"Yeah, he does," Mr. Vandekamp agreed. "Remind me to record him singing it. I want to remember it forever."

They pulled into the parking lot of Lucky's Market. Mr. Vandekamp stepped out of his car and retrieved an empty grocery cart. He latched William into the top seat of the buggy and then he waited for his wife to grab her purse and headed into the natural food store.

"Don't forget Bacon!", the man said.

His wife laughed. "I bet that's all you remember."

Mulder entered Lucky's Market and he immediately recognized the store. He had a strong sense that something was about to happen and he wasn't sure what it was. He grabbed a cart and the store paper, pretending that he was interested in the sale items while he was scanning the faces of the people looking for any signs of his son.

Mulder walked down the various aisles, and then grabbed up a box from the snack aisle, he grimaced from the selection of healthy food. He was startled when he heard the tiny voice belt out, "DADDY!"

Mulder turned towards the back of the aisle and saw a three year old child sitting in the buggy, surrounded by two adults as the child pointed in his direction. Mulder walked slowly towards the end of the aisle, pretending to care about shopping as his eyes locked onto the boy that he recognized as his son. His heart began to race and his throat went dry as he stood idly in the aisle.

William began to whine and cry as he stared at his father just a few steps away from him. He pulled at the straps that had him tethered to the buggy but without much effort, the straps unlatched on their own. William stood up with his hands outstretched to Mulder. His tiny voice shrieked and cried as he stared at him with his arms outstretched wanting Mulder to pick him up. Mulder stared at his son. He was real, alive and in the flesh. Hearing William cry for him caused a large lump to form in Mulder's throat. He was helplessly watching as William pleaded to be picked up.

The adoptive father noticed that William was standing in the cart and so he gathered him up in his arms. William pointed behind him, "Daddy!"

"Yes, buddy, daddy's here," the man said.

Mulder felt a surge of rage inside of him but he tempered it down. He watched as Mrs. Vandekamp grabbed the paper package wrapped carefully by the butcher and placed it in her buggy and began pushing it ahead of her. Mulder tried not to look suspicious as he followed them throughout the store. William stared back at him from above his adoptive father's shoulders, occasionally waving in his direction. It took all of Mulder's strength to not knock the man down and grab his son and run. But, Mulder knew that he would never get very far and he was already wanted by the FBI. He knew that he had to be cautious or else he would never return to Scully.

He follow them to the check out lanes and he stood in a different lane, haphazardly tossing the food items onto the conveyer belt. The Vandekamps grabbed their bags and headed for the exit. Mulder's cashier handed him his receipt and he snatched it out of her hand. He had no clue what he had purchased but he grabbed his bag dumping it in an empty buggy and raced out of the store. Mulder scanned the parking lot and then spotted them. He could see the small family loading William back in his car seat and then the wife closed her door, waiting as her husband pulled out into traffic. Mulder started his rental car and drove a few yards behind them, tailing them as tightly as he could without being noticed. The couple stopped at the local feed store and so Mulder sat in his car, waiting for them to return. Again he tailed them to the Sweetwater Restaurant. Mulder sat in his car for an hour until they returned, with William who was having a tantrum. They drove off far ahead of him. Mulder was growing more impatient as the minutes ticked on. The couple began to leave the city and the roads changed from paved to dirt. Traffic was blocking his view of them. There were four cars separating him from the blue truck until they had all turned off leaving his car and the blue truck as the only ones left on the road. There was no traffic light at the four way stop and to the left, a large tree had fallen into the road, blocking Mr. Vandekamp's view of incoming traffic. He edged past the stop sign and seeing that to his left all was clear, he pulled out just as a semi-truck rounded the tree debris and slammed into them, crushing it and rolling it over.

Mulder screamed and he threw open the car door and raced towards the blue truck. "WILLIAM!", he screamed, frantically. WILLIAM!"

Mulder knelt down on the pavement, staring at the helpless form of Mr. Vandekamp, trapped his seat belt upside down. Mulder could see a large gash from his head down to his face that was bleeding uncontrollably. Mulder could hear him breathing shallow breaths. He noticed that Mrs. Vandekamp had gone through the windshield and lay motionless on the black tar pavement. He knew immediately that she was dead. Mulder in a shaky voice screamed, "WILLIAM?"

He forced the cab door open and his heart stopped beating for a second. He could see William strapped in his car seat upside down with his hands dangling down. Williams frightened blue eyes stared back at him. His pupils were wide and Mulder realized that his son was in shock. Mulder snapped the latch off Williams car seat and grabbed him, holding him tightly to his chest. "William?"

Mulder could hear a tiny sniffling sound and he searched Williams head for trauma. William began to scream and cry and Mulder clutched him tightly to his chest, whispering, "It's okay, I promise it's okay."

Mulder pulled William back away from his chest so he could examine him checking each limb for fractures, in the way he knew Scully would. Mulder carried William back to where Mr. Vandekamp lay upside down and he checked for a pulse but lowered his hand when he'd realized Mr. Vandekamp had died just like his wife. Mulder turned his attention to the driver of the large truck. With William cradled against him, he raced over to the semi but quickly realized tell that the driver too was dead, his body thrown out of his truck, crushed from the weight of the semi. Mulder backed away, he could smell a distinct smell and with William in his arms, he raced back to the rental car, pulling off and fleeing the scene. Mulder glanced back as the semi-truck exploded shaking the ground from the force and engulfing the Vandekamps in a fiery mass. Mulder looked down at his three year old son who was clutching his coat tightly, sitting on his lap as he drove away frantically. Mulder shook his head in disbelief, "You knew this was going to happen, didn't you?", he said, staring into the frightened face of his son. "You knew!"

William pressed his small head to his father's chest, his only answer to Mulder's question was the silent tears that trailed down his tiny face. Mulder, still gripping his son tightly on his lap, rushed back towards his hotel room.

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	6. Chapter 6

**Through His Eyes**

**Part 6**

**by **

**Trycee**

**Time-Line: 2004-Philadelphia, PA**

**Disclaimer- I do not own the X-Files. This is written for fun not profit. **

***Thank You Paulie Rubens for the idea of this story***

Mulder paced the carpeted motel floor, glancing nervously at his son who sat on the hotel bed as he opened each dresser drawer and peeked inside like a game. Mulder reached down and unzipped Williams coat, freeing him to explore the small room. He couldn't help but smile as he watched William touch and prod at everything in the room excitedly.

But Mulder was worried about William having just survived such a tragic event involving the only parents he truly knew. He was also worried about the scene that he'd fled from. Mulder thoughts were scattered everywhere and he had no clue what his next step should be. _What would the police know? W__ere they now searching for William?__ Should he drive straight home to Scully? Should he email her or call her. What should he do. Scully would be the visible parent with__ William __, __since he would __have to stay__ hid__den. How would this affect her life? __How would she __be able to __put him in daycare or register him for school? How would she explain that her son who was adopted suddenly reappeared when his adoptive parent__s __were found burned __in a tragic crash? _Mulder nearly paced a hole in the floor. Mulder's jaw was tight from worry and his palms were sweaty and clammy. He was trying to ponder the next step but without The Lone Gunmen's help he was lost.

William jumped down from the bed and grabbed up the remote from the dresser, clicking on the television set. "Daddy, look!", he said, pointing to the tv screen.

Mulder gripped his jaw and then turned to face the screen. Mulder pushed the volume button up as the local news reporter beginning explaining the charred scene behind her live on camera.

"_Sources are saying that a crash between a local Jackson area family has ended in tragedy. According to authorities, the Vandekamp family perished when the driver of the truck collided with them at a four way stop. The massive fire burned the victims beyond recognition. The Vandekamp's tragically also lost their three year old adoptive son, William Vandekamp..."_

Mulder gasped as he stared at a photo of William displayed on the screen.

"_Unfortunately, the Police believe the boy's body will never be found due to the intensity of the fire. Back to you, Jill..."_

Mulder flopped down on the bed in utter shock. William pressed the button on the remote and shut it off. He turned to his father and raised his hands. "Daddy!", he smiled. "Daddy, we go home!"

Mulder nodded his head in agreement. "We will, we will, after daddy figures out what to do," he said. William climbed up Mulder's tall knees and then crawled off his lap and began bouncing on the bed.

Mulder was nervous and apprehensive. He knew that he was going to need help but he wasn't sure just how to go about it getting it. He knew one thing though, he needed to place some distance between himself and Jackson, Wyoming. Mulder figured he could head to the next city or town and check in at the nearest hotel and then come up with a plan from there. He grabbed his duffel bag and slung it over his arm and slipped Williams coat back on. Mulder reached out his hand and William slipped his hand in his fathers. He was amazed at William's strong grip as he held his hand in his. William began to swing their arms and Mulder looked down at him with a smile. They had missed so much of his life and he was enjoying the presence of his son. They walked hand in hand out to the car. Mulder placed the adult seat-belt on William and then drove off heading as far away as he could get before it grew dark.

William slept in the seat next to him reminding him of the way Scully always fell asleep in cars. Mulder couldn't get over how much William looked like Scully with her bright red hair, soulful blue eyes and her same skin tone. He was pleased with himself despite his overall fear and uncertainty. Mulder drove three and a half hours away until he came to the city of Rock Springs and the first hotel he saw and pulled into the parking lot.

Mulder had a dilemma, enter the motel with his son and possibly risk having William seen on a motel camera or leave him asleep in the car alone. Mulder decided on the latter. He stood at the motel counter but he kept a watchful eye on the rental car, afraid that someone might take William or see him in the car alone and report it to the police. Mulder rushed back to his son and then parked in front of their new motel room. He opened the door and William raced in climbing up onto the bed and jumping up and down like he had in Jackson. Mulder locked the door and then slid a chair beneath it, locking it in place for safety. Mulder sat down on the bed as it bounced up and down. William ran at full speed and jumped on the bed, bumping into him as he flipped and tossed like a trampoline.

Mulder was trying to gather his thoughts. There were too many things that could go wrong and he had to be careful. William could sense Mulder's nervousness and so he sat down next to his father, his feet dangling far from the floor."Daddy, eat-eat!"

"Eat-eat?", Mulder asked. He cocked his head to the side and watched as Williams blue eyes grew wide. "Oh, right. Your probably hungry!", he said. "Sorry, daddy's new at this."

The red headed boy patted his own tummy trying to demonstrate to Mulder his hunger. "Daddy, eat-eat!"

"What would a three year old like to eat?", he said, more to himself than William.

He scanned the top of the dresser and found a listing of the local restaurants and pizza places. "How does pizza sound?"

"Yummy!", William said, excitedly. "Daddy, tv?", he said in a high pitched voice.

"Hold on," he said, picking his son up in his arms. "I want you to know that your mother and I love you so much."

William reached out and placed two small hands on the side of Mulder's face and then leaned in for a kiss. Mulder was overwhelmed with emotions as he kissed William for the first time since they'd brought him home as a newborn. William, a busy little boy, began to wiggle in his arms but Mulder held onto him tightly. "Your my boy, did you know that?", he said. "My boy!"

He placed William back on to his feet and handed him the remote. William began to flipped the channels until he had reached the cartoons. Mulder used the hotel phone to dial the pizza number and then sat back watching William. But soon Mulder's thoughts became grim once again as William giggled and squirmed about in front of the tv, glued to the animated feature.

Mulder knew he hadn't thought things through completely before coming there. He knew impulsiveness was just apart of his personality, one that drove Scully insane. He knew he was completely unprepared; his exposure to children had been limited throughout his life. He knew he had no clue of how to take care of his son. Mulder had only seen William in person the day they brought him home, wrapped in his mother's arms. Scully had been flown by helicopter to a hospital in Atlanta and checked out thoroughly after he had rescued Agent Reyes and Scully clutching William from the deserted Democrat Hot Springs. And then Mulder was force to leave his small family behind in an effort to save them from the threat of harm against William if he were to stay. Mulder had dreamed of this moment but in reality, a three year old child was as foreign to Mulder as an alien.

Scully had awoken alone, her arm outstretched to feel for William but he had vanished. Despite her sadness being left alone once again without her child, she went on about her daily routine and then headed out for her class. Despite her best efforts, she was still having trouble concentrating. She checked her phone constantly for voice mails and emails and was growing more disturbed throughout the day. By the afternoon she was in near hysterics and left for home early.

Scully knew that she needed help. She muted the national news and then dialed the number.

"What are you doing? This isn't a secure line!"

She hung up the phone and then waited for it to ring on her end. She answered on the second ring. "Scully!"

"Scully, you called me?"

"Yes, sir."

"Is something wrong? Did something happen to Mulder?"

"Yes sir," she sighed. "I think Mulder is in trouble," she said as the national news displayed a charred vehicle accident on her living room television screen.

"I'm on my way!"

Scully clicked off the television set and then dialed a second number. "Hello?", the voice said. "Dana?"

"Mom!", she sobbed. "Mom, I'm so worried right now! I need you!"

"Dana, I'll be there in a little over an hour," Maggie stated.

Scully could hear her racing around her home. "Thank you."

"I'm on my way," Maggie said hanging up.

Margaret Scully arrived at the tiny home and pushed opened the door, "Dana?", she called as she moved through the living room back to the bedroom. She pushed open the door and saw her daughter dressed in scrubs crying into a pillow. "Dana, what is it?"

Scully sat up and threw her arms around her mother, tearing up on her shoulder.

"Dana..." Maggie said, lovingly. "Dana, what is it? This isn't like you."

Scully grabbed a tissue and wiped her tears. "I know," she sighed.

Maggie sat down on the bed facing her. "Where's Fox?"

"He went in search of our son," she said, looking into her mother's eyes.

Maggie's mouth gaped open. "He knows where William is?"

"No, not really. But that hasn't stopped him for going." she said, dabbing her eyes. "What if they catch him? What if he's sitting in prison right now at this very moment? What if he got into some horrible accident? I haven't heard from him at all today or the last two days as a matter of fact and I don't know if Mulder is dead or alive. I'm scared for William as well."

Maggie pulled her daughter against her and stroked the back of her head. "It's hard, loving men like Fox. I know because your father was similar. Men like them only focus on what they are doing and they neglect to realize it's affect on us as well. It's not intentional, it just is. But Dana, I know you are strong. I know you can handle anything. I've seen you do it!", she smiled.

Sully rested against her mother's chest, listening to the heartbeat of this strong woman and it gave her the strength she needed.

"I feel like I'm going out of my mind" she sighed. "I buried him once and I know I can't do that again."

"I know you couldn't."

"I've witnessed Mulder lying on the floor in a prison cell! The thought of him being locked away, far away from me is nearly more than I can take," she said, licking her lips. "When we were just partners, he'd dump me and run off to god knows where and it would be days that I would walk around in a haze," she said, looking into her mother's warm eyes.

"I can't lose either one of them," Scully continued. "Right now, I am _SO_ lost," she said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Dana, I'm sure he's fine," Maggie said, rubbing her hands along her daughter's back.

"Skinner is on his way here," Scully added.

"Well good. I'm sure he'll find him!", Maggie said.

"I hope so!"

"NOW Up!," Maggie ordered. "Did you eat? Your looking pale and way too thin. Now, Up! I didn't drive all this way to sit on a bed. Get up, Dana!", Maggie said, heading out of the room. "Come on, Dana, help me in the kitchen!"

Scully stood up reluctantly. "I need to take a shower first."

"Okay, I'm going to start dinner."

Scully walked up to her mother and engulfed her in her arms. "Thank you, mom."

Maggie kissed her forehead. "That's what I'm here for."

Mulder grabbed the empty pizza box and zipped up Williams coat taking a walk into the wintery night air. Mulder dumped the box into the garbage dumpster and turned around observing the motel activities around him. Two men were drinking beer leaned up against a company truck, laughing and talking loudly as a working girl hopped out of a taxi and knocked on a hotel room that opened revealing a bald headed man with a beer gut. The motel mostly had families traveling to and from Yellowstone but Mulder noticed that other motel patrons were either living there or heading off from a job.

Mulder spotted the area just beyond the motel and noticed there was a gas station. He picked up the squirming William in his arms and carried him down a block to the station. Mulder viewed the cell phone displays beneath the counter, his eyes catching the thing he needed most, a disposable phone. "Give me the red one," he said. "But hold on, I'm not finished."

Mulder placed William down. "Want something, son?"

William nodded his head yes and then grabbed a sandwich bag filled with penny candy in a cooler by the front door. Mulder ruffled his sons head and then grabbed two juices. He paid for his items and then returned with William back to his hotel room, sitting him down in front of the tv with his sack of candy. Mulder then pulled out the disposable cell phone. He knew the number by heart and so he dialed it and waited.

"Hello?"

"Skinner, it's Mulder."

"Mulder! Where the hell are you! Scully is worried sick! I'm on my way to her now! You better have a good explanation for all this!"

"I do. I need your help!"

Skinner clutched the phone to his ear in one hand as he weaved in and out of traffic on the highway. "I'm listening."

"Sir, I have William."

Skinner was silent.

"Sir?"

"Mulder, what did you do? Did you steal him?"

"His adoptive parents died in a car crash today. I rescued him from the car before it exploded. And they are reporting that William died in that accident."

"Go on," Skinner said.

"I need a way to bring him home!"

Skinner sighed heavily. "Your talking about wiping his adoption records clean in two states! I could go to prison for that."

"Sir, Scully needs to be reunited with our son!"

Skinner pulled up to the small home and shut off the car engine. He spotted a gold car parked alongside Scully's car with Maryland license plates and knew that Scully's mother had arrived "Give me a few days. But don't worry, I'll handle it."

"Thank You sir. And Walter?"

"Yeah."

"Don't tell Scully about William. Just tell her I'm safe and I'm heading home. I'll discuss the details with her when I get there."

Skinner stepped out of the car and looked about the area, making sure he hadn't been followed. "Just get here safe, Mulder! You've put her through enough!"

"I know it," Mulder sighed. "But this time I'm bringing our son home!"

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	7. Chapter 7

**Through His Eyes**

**Part 7**

**by **

**Trycee**

**Time-Line: 2004-Philadelphia, PA**

**Disclaimer- I do not own the X-Files. This is written for fun not profit. **

***Thank You Paulie Rubens for the idea of this story***

The first thing Mulder learned about his son was that William was barely potty trained and that having extra clothes with a three year was a necessity. Mulder cleaned his son up and wrapped him in a large towel as the boy shivered from his shower, his red hair spiked up like his own unruly threads. He sat William down on the edge of the bed and then searched through his duffel bag for something small enough for William to wear. He realized nothing he had would fit him. His shirts hung off of Scully like a dress and so on William, Mulder knew it would looked like he'd been swallowed by fabric. He tried tying the ends of his shirt in between Williams legs but the three year old was unable to walk. He loosened the ends and cautioned him to be careful. Mulder didn't want him falling and hurting himself forcing them to take a trip to the hospital, which meant involving doctors and possibly the police. He placed William in the large bed and then shut off the light. He sat in the chair, his feet propped up on the end of the bed and tried to formulate a plan to make his way back to Scully.

Skinner sat down on the sofa in Scully's home, a drink in his hand given to him by Maggie. Scully waited anxiously seated across from him, waiting for him to speak. His jaw shifted nervously as he avoided her eyes. "I got a call from Mulder."

Scully looked shocked. "Why hasn't he called me himself? Is he hurt?", she said, rising up, alarmed.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "He's fine. He's on his way back to you. He wanted me to tell you he was okay."

Scully sighed and reached back to her neck, trying to massage the knot that was forming. She glanced over to her mother and Maggie made her way over to her for comfort. Scully turned her gaze back to Skinner. "When was this? When did he call?"

"A few minutes before I walked in. He sounded like he was in a hurry. He wanted to reassure you that he wasn't harmed."

"Why didn't he call me himself?"

Skinner shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure. He said, he'd talk to you when he got back home."

Scully plopped down in her chair as she twisted and bit her lip. "He thought I would relax now knowing that but it's only made me more afraid!"

Night turned into day and then repeated as they waited for Mulder's arrival. Scully was beside herself and her mother was her only comfort, keeping them all fed and calmed while Skinner sat in Mulder and Scully's office, contacting his secret sources. After the Lone Gunmen's deaths, Skinner had a few hackers, friends of the Gunmens, seek him out over the years. He used their hacking skills to wipe Scully's record clean, allowing her to resume a normal life. Mulder unfortunately was too high profiled and they weren't able to clear him. It took hours to reach them but Skinner called upon his contacts to erase Williams adoption records from the system. This was a huge task requiring that his records be remove it from the adoption Agency in D.C, the various agencies of the District of Columbia as well as Wyoming and locally in Jackson, Wyoming. Skinner knew he would have to pay them handsomely, after all this required not only hacking, stealing of files, destroying photos and other evidence the Vandekamp's had of their adoptive son but forging new documents to erase the past two years of Williams life. It also required a lot of hands in a lot of pots. Skinner knew once the word got out that it was in honor of the Gunmen, he knew that Scully would be free to have her son back in her life permanently.

The early morning hours Mulder awoke, stiff and uncomfortable having fallen asleep in the hotel chair. He looked at the clock, 4 am and he knew it was time to move on. He placed the coat on a sleeping William and then picked him up in his arms. Mulder's shirt trailed past the boys foot downward like a long robe but he had no other choice. At least the coat would keep him somewhat warm. Mulder grabbed his duffel bag and a hotel blanket and then placed William in the back seat of the rental car with the blanket draped over him. He seat belted him in place lying down. He moved quickly, knowing the rental car would soon be reported stolen and he needed to put some distance between them and Wyoming.

Mulder drove for several hours before stopping at a roadside yard sale in the early morning hours in the middle of nowhere. He bought a few clothes for William and changed out of his own clothes as well. He kept driving stopping only for food or bathroom breaks and after ten hours he arrived in Omaha, Nebraska. Mulder knew he had to ditch the car and so he parked it in the back of a salon before walking across the street with William to the Amtrak Train station. He bought two tickets to Chicago and then sat down on the benches in the waiting area listening for the announcement for them to board.

William searched the crowds, listening to the thoughts of the people around him. It was like a transistor radio, he could hear the thoughts though he was too young to know what most of them meant. He sat on his father's lap and Mulder tilted his ball cap down trying to cover his face and leaned back to catch a few winks before it was time to board the train. William stared up at the broken television set that was mounted on the wall. He was bored and he wanted to watch the tv screen. He pointed his tiny finger in its direction and the news came on loudly surprising everyone around them. William was glued to the screen watching as the national reporter spoke about the tragic deaths of the family in Wyoming. Mulder's ears perked up as he listened to a panel discussing the implications of their deaths and how their tragedy might impact regulations across the nation requiring four lane stops to have traffic lights. William blinked at the photo of the Vandekamp family. He recognized the photo of himself as a chubby cheeked baby in the arms of a smiling couple.

William turned in his father's lap and placed a hand on Mulder's bearded chin. "Daddy? Daddy?"

Mulder cocked open his eyes and shifted William on his lap. "Yes, son?"

Mulder could tell that from Williams reddening face and pools of tears forming in his beautiful whirlpool blue eyes that he was remembering the events from the day before. Mulder glanced up at the screen and could see the Vandekamps image plastered all over the news. He held William close to him and whispered in his ears. "They loved you. Just like mommy and me love you."

William sniffled as he listened to his father's voice. "You knew they were going to die so you came to us so we'd find you. It's okay to miss them. They loved you and they took great care of you."

"Sammy!", William said.

Mulder's eyebrows raised. "Sammy?"

"Doggie, roof-roof," William said, looking into Mulder's hazel swarms.

Mulder chuckled. He was amazed at Williams comprehension and attempt to explain things _to him_ in the simplest form! Mulder remembered that Scully had mentioned the Vandekamps having a dog, a collie. He knew William was worried about the dog, now that the Vandekamps were dead. "Sammie the dog is like you, he has to now go find his real mommy and daddy too. But they'll love him even more because it's his own mommy and daddy."

William seemed pleased by the explanation and then laid his small head down on Mulder's shoulder. Mulder smoothed his hand through his sons hair. "I can't wait for mommy to see you. She hasn't been the same since the day you left us. Mommy will be SO happy," he said, stroking his sons hair. William closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of his father's hand. He felt secure and loved and soon drifted off to sleep.

William awoke on the train next to his father in the sightseeing cart facing the rapidly changing view of the countryside in front of them. William looked up at his father. Mulder was smiling warmly at him. "Here son, eat!", he said, handing him a brown paper bag.

"Eat-eat?", William asked, as Mulder unwrapped the warm sandwich he'd purchased at the trains cafe.

William opened his mouth, happily allowing his father to feed him. He chewed slowly but Mulder was patient. He could feel himself bonding with his son and he had a sense of overwhelming love for him. Mulder regarded every scrunch of Williams face, every nuisance that reminded him of either himself or Scully. He even recognized the small mole developing near his lip in the same spot as Scully. Mulder noticed he was starting to feel like a real father and he couldn't be happier. A few passengers stopped and remarked on how cute William was, occasionally handing him a dollar or piece of candy. William seemed to love the attention and Mulder knew that was his personality and his alone. Everywhere they went William drew attention which ratcheted Mulder's paranoia up a notch. He knew he had disguised himself well and could not be easily recognized even _if _the FBI were in fact interested in finding him, which Skinner had insisted that they were not. Yet, Mulder still felt the need to be careful. Williams photos were being plastered all over the nation, fortunately they were all older photos with no resemblance to the three year old boy perched beside him. But for Mulder, everyone was a potentional threat until they made it back safely to Scully. Every stranger, every smile or glance put them in danger and they still had nine and a half hours to go until they reached their half way point of Chicago.

As the sun went down, he decided to retired with William in the sleeper bunks. He placed William on the top bunk and he stripped out of his jeans with only his boxers and slipped under the covers. An hour into slumber, William started to scream as he tossed and turned in a nightmare. Mulder picked him up and William clung to his father with his arms wrapped tightly around Mulder's neck. Mulder sat on his bunk, smoothing his hand on Williams back, "It's okay, son. It's okay."

As a Psychologist, Mulder knew that a normal child would have trouble with what he had just witnessed let alone experienced with the crash and death of his adoptive parents. But William was special and at three years old, he had known his adoptive parents were going to die. Mulder knew it was affecting him but he was too young to fully articulate what he was feeling. Mulder laid his son down beside him and then curled up around him falling asleep for the rest of the journey. After switching trains in Chicago, Mulder was seated next to William in a row behind other travelers with William in the window seat watching the houses and trees until he finally fell asleep. Nine hours flew by and they finally arrived in Philadelphia. He was grateful that they were closer than ever to Scully. Mulder carried a sleeping William out to the waiting cab and drove towards home.

The cab stopped in front of the house and Mulder recognized Skinner and Maggie's cars. He paid the driver and placed William on the sidewalk. William looked around him in a daze as if he had never seen the home before. "Daddy, home?", he questioned.

Mulder smiled down to his son, "Yes, son. Home! Where Mommy is!"

Williams eyes lit up. "Mommy!"

Mulder pushed the door open but was blocked by an angered Scully, her face red and tearful and her eyes swollen from crying. It had been over a week since Mulder had left her without a word and he could see the affects of his actions written across her face. Mulder pulled her against his chest and Scully nearly collapsed against him. He held her up, feeling Scully's body quaked as she gasped and wept against him. She shifted and began punching him in the chest. "You selfish bastard! You son of a bitch!"

Mulder gripped her arms to her sides, holding her in place as she tried to fight him. Finally, she gave in and leaned into his chest, sobbing harder as her emotions for the past week overwhelmed her.

"Mommy?", a tiny voice called out.

Scully grew rigid and she looked up at Mulder. "I'm hearing things!", she cried.

"No, Scully," Mulder said, releasing his grip on her. He turned sideways and there standing in front of her was three year old William with his arms outstretched to her. Scully covered her mouth with her hands, "William?"

"Mommy!", the boy said, stepping up to her.

Scully yanked him up into her arms, layering kisses on his soft cheeks. "Is this real? Oh my god! Mulder! You brought William home?", she said, in amazement. "Our son, Mulder? You found him?"

"Yes, Scully. Our son," he smiled.

Scully wiped her tears with her hand as she looked into the identical face of her son. "William, my god, William. You have no idea how much I love you!"

William threw his tiny arms around her neck and pressed his cheek to her cheek. "Mommy!", he smiled. "Mommy!"

"Yes, it's mommy!", she said, as tears trailed her cheeks. She smiled as she held him in her arms. She started tossing questions at Mulder "Oh God, Mulder. How? How? Is he staying? What happened? Is he safe?"

Skinner stepped out of the office, surprised to find Mulder standing at the doorway and William in Scully's arms. Maggie was crying as she touched her grandsons shoe, trying to give her daughter space to reconnect with her son. Mulder wrapped his arm around Scully's shoulders. He remarked at how blissful she seemed.

"How did you do it?", Scully asked, locking eyes with him.

"It wasn't me, Scully. William knew his adoptive parents were going to die in that accident, that's why he appeared to us, Scully."

"You mean the one on the news?", Maggie gasped. "That one with the Vandekamp family." They were now household names.

Scully looked at William. He placed a hand on his mother's cheek and looked into her soulful eyes. She glanced up at Mulder. "Mulder, what happened?"

"The truck struck them right in front of me and flipped it. They were already dead as was the driver. I grabbed William out before it exploded."

"How terrible! To think that could've been our William", Maggie sighed, shaking her head in disbelief.

"It would've been, had he not started appearing to us."

Scully clutched William to her chest. He lay his head against her, enjoying the comfort of his _real _mother and listening to her heartbeat. "Is he safe, Mulder? Will the police come after him?"

"Everything has been taken care of," Skinner spoke finally. "I used some of the Gunmen's contacts to wipe William from the state's adoption records in D.C. and from the courts, agencies, any place that may show he was ever adopted."

Scully was dumbfounded. "How? I mean...How?"

"A few hacker friends of the Gunmen."

Scully's eyebrows rose. "But why? Why would they help us?"

"You were both very important to the Gunmen and these are their hacker friends who miss them terribly. They want to make sure no one will ever come after you or William."

Mulder let go of Scully and then extended his hand to Skinner. "Thank You, sir." Mulder said. "Thank You."

Mulder turned his attention back to his small family and then leaned down, pressing a kiss to Scully's soft mouth. She smiled affectionately to him. "I feel so complete right now," she sighed contently. "I have my family. I'm complete."

Mulder watched as Scully broke away from him and carried their son to the sofa. She sat down with William in her arms. "I'm scared to let him go or else he'll vanish," she sighed.

William shook his head and placed his hand over her heart. "Mama...stay!", he said.

Scully covered her mouth and beamed. "You are incredible," she said looking amused. "I love you so much, do you know that?"

William nodded. "YES!", he said, scooting off her lap and unzipping his coat.

The adults watched as William toddled over to the coat rack, attempting to hang it. Mulder placed it on the peg for him. William sauntered back to his mother's side and greeted her with a wide smile. She touched his baby soft cheeks with her finger. "You are never leaving me again, you know that!", she said, as tears streamed down her cheeks. "I'll never give you up ever again!"

Mulder sat down next to her and pulled Scully against his chest as she cried softly, covering her face.

Maggie picked him up and placed a kiss on his cheek. William giggled and kissed her back. She handed him a cookie and placed him back down.

Scully watched Williams every step as he explored their tiny home. William picked up each knickknack with curiousity and then climbed up onto the sofa and began jumping up and down. He turned and squeaked as he observed the falling snow outside their large bay window. Scully wiped at her tears but they kept flowing. Red faced from crying, Maggie handed her daughter a tissue. "Well," Maggie said, clearing her throat. "Are you hungry? Did you eat?", she asked Mulder as she stepped into the tiny kitchen.

Mulder nodded. "Thanks Mrs. Scully, that would be nice, thanks."

"I'm overwhelmed," Maggie sighed. "I never thought I'd ever see my grandson again. God answers prayers!"

Scully erupted in a new set of tears. William was sensitive to his mother and so he crept closer to her staying within arms reach, absorbing her emotions until she had stopped crying.

Skinner sat down at the bar separating the kitchen from the living room silently observing them.

Mulder placed a kiss on Scully's forehead. Mulder was satisfied as he held Scully and watched their son. "In just one week, you'll be graduating," he said, running his hands along her side. "And then we'll be moved into our new home. There's room for William to have a bedroom. He needs toys and clothes and a bed but I'll be there to watch him when your off to work. He and I bonded, so, you don't have to worry, Scully. I can handled it."

Scully smiled contently as she observed William racing around the tiny living room before coming back to be held by them. Scully sighed in relief. "I've never been this happy in my life," she said, locking eyes with Mulder. "Our lives are finally on track, Mulder. Our son is home."

"All because of him, Scully. That's an amazing boy we created."

"He is," she said proudly, as a fresh set of happy tears trailed her cheeks. "He's so beautiful too."

Mulder squeezed Scully to his side. "He's extremely beautiful, Scully. He looks just like you!"

Scully turned to face him and Mulder pressed his feathery lips to hers. He pulled back and noticed a spark in Scully's eyes he hadn't seen since the day they'd first held William in their arms. The light in Scully's eyes which had always been present had gone out after giving William away. He'd noticed how dull and lifeless her eyes were when she had visited him in the military prison. That light had remained gone from her eyes in the past few years. Mulder's heart swelled as he noticed the light had now return. He pressed his lips to hers again in a soft kiss.

Mulder shook his head,"Thank You for our son," he sighed. "Thank you for loving him so much, for sacrificing for him. And for loving me!"

Scully locked eyes with Mulder and he smiled down to her. "I love you, Scully and I love what we created out of love."

"I love you too, Mulder. I love our son, so very much. Thank you for bringing him home to me."

Mulder shook his head. "No, Scully, he brought himself home!"

Scully pressed her head into Mulder's shoulder and William climbed back up onto his parents laps, interrupting him. He placed one hand on each parents cheek and grinned at them. "Mommy, Daddy, me," he smiled. "Happy!"

"Yes," she laughed, rubbing her fingers up and down his back. "Forever and ever..."

William nodded his head and then settled further into her lap. She ran her fingers through his hair and pulled him up to her heart. "My baby boy is home," she sighed, as William lay comfortably in her arms, listening to the beating of her heart.

** THE END**

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